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State Representative Jim Butler (R-Oakwood) today voted in favor of the state operating budget, House Bill 49, citing the preservation of the Healthcare Price Transparency Law as his primary reason for doing so. Representative Butler was the author of that law, which was included in House Bill 52 in June of 2015.

“I am pleased that Governor Kasich's initial proposal to repeal the Healthcare Price Transparency Law was removed from the budget,” said Rep. Butler. “Even better is the fact that the current law remains in effect, so hopefully someday soon patients will have a right under the law to receive an upfront, good-faith estimate of the cost of their non-emergency healthcare services. The governor, who, perhaps coincidently, was recently inducted into the Ohio Hospital Association's Hall of Fame, has been working closely with that same association to try to prevent the law from ever going into effect. It is possible they may agree to "settle" a lawsuit filed by the hospital lobby to weaken the Transparency Law. I sincerely hope that the Attorney General DeWine will do the right thing by independently fighting for the law, which is undoubtedly in the best interest of Ohioans.”